Beeville headed to semifinals

Soza throws for three scores in 35-21 win

On Friday night, Eric Soza became the latest member of his family to make some memories there.

Beeville's junior quarterback threw three touchdown passes to lead the Trojans to a 35-21 victory over Edcouch-Elsa at Javelina Stadium.

The win put the Trojans (10-2) in the Region IV-4A football quarterfinals against Cibolo Steele next week, with a date and site to be determined.

"This is the most amazing feeling ever," said Beeville receiver Robert Elizalde, who had six catches for 106 yards, including a touchdown and a key fourth-down conversion during the fourth quarter. "This is like so awesome; I really don't know what to say. This is like the greatest feeling ever."

Beeville coach Chris Soza played football at A&M-Kingsville in the early 1980s, with son Justin, a current Beeville assistant, following in the elder Soza's footsteps. Daughter Felicia is a sophomore starter on the Javelina women's basketball team.

That left Eric Soza to leave his imprint on the Javelina Stadium turf and he did, guiding the Trojans on five touchdown drives.

"It just came," Soza said. "Every week it just comes week by week and fortunately we were able to play in this great stadium and hopefully we gave the fans something to shout about."

The game's turning point came late in the first half after Beeville stopped the Yellowjackets on downs inside the Trojans' 20-yard line.

Taking over at their own 13 with 1:41 to go, the Trojans seemed content to run out the clock with a 14-7 lead. However, a 45-yard run from Soza on a quarterback keeper to start the drive changed their thinking.

"Now we were in two-minute drill territory where we could do some things and we did," Chris Soza said.

Four plays later, Richie Mendoza scored on a 5-yard run around left end to give Beeville a two-touchdown lead with 31.7 seconds to go in the half.

After Beeville went up 28-7 on Soza's 20-yard TD pass to Frank Warner early in the third, Edcouch-Elsa rallied for two scores to make it a 28-21 game early in the fourth.

"They have a good team," Chris Soza said. "They're not ‘La Maquina' for nothing."

After returning the ensuing kickoff to near midfield, the Trojans drove 53 yards in 10 plays for the clinching touchdown.

The key moment came on fourth and 9 from the Yellowjackets' 35, when Soza found Elizalde over the middle for a 15-yard gain to keep the drive going.

"He's a go-to guy," Chris Soza said of Elizalde. "He makes plays and he's done that all year long. He's a competitor and one of the better athletes at our school.

"Our kids just came out and played hard. We were healthy and went as hard as we could. Defensively, we made some stops when we had to and offensively, we just clicked. We did what we had to do."